The invention relates to a floating bond for providing an electrical and mechanical connection between a terminal post and a cable with a conductive sheath.
A standard outdoor residential telephone cable or buried service wire comprises a number of electrical wires, which are individually insulated and bound together by a protective armored metallic sheath surrounding the bundle of wires. The sheath is typically made of copper and serves as a ground. An outer insulating sleeve encases the sheath and protects the cable from the environment.
A standard residential network interface box, usually found on the outside of a house or pedestal (cable closure), contains telephone line terminals to which the wires in the telephone cable are connected and a ground terminal in the form of a threaded post to which the sheath is connected. In the past, the sheath was mounted directly to the ground post. Phone company service personnel accomplished this on-site by splitting the sheathing axially, spreading it open and punching a hole in it, allowing the sheath to be slipped over the post like a washer and secured in place with a nut.